Mortgage rates were lower across the board, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to 6.53 percent. According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large lenders, the average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.4 discount and origination points. As stated earlier, FHA mortgage is a way for homebuyers to obtain financing for their homes. All home purchases require buyers to make a certain set percentage of the total purchase price, called the down payment. What the FHA mortgage insurance does therefore is to allow a homebuyer to make a modest down payment and obtain a mortgage for the balance of the purchase price.